Sir Peter Soulsby says he is sympathetic to Labour having an open selection process when it chooses its Leicester mayoral candidates in the future.

The mayor was this week automatically re-selected to stand in next year’s election by party.

The city’s 61 local party branches and affiliated groups, such as unions, voted 38 to 23 in favour of a closed process which means Sir Peter will not face a challenge from alternative candidates for Labour’s place on the ballot paper.

However, since the result, a number of Labour members have said there should have been an open contest for the Labour candidacy with a run-off election.

Sir Peter said he was delighted to have been backed to seek a third term leading Leicester City Council but acknowledged the faults in the current selection process.

He said: “There is a very strong case for changing so there is an open vote.

City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby

“As it stands, the process can be portrayed as a vote of confidence in the incumbent and that is not helpful.

“Nor is it the point of the process which is to decide whether there should be an vote to choose the candidate and in a democratic party that is a cry that is hard to resist.

“I have said all along the process is complicated and frustrating but it is not one of my making.

“I would be sympathetic to an open process.

“That is what happens for councillors but not for MPs though I know the Labour Party is considering changing that.”

Some Labour members have said they would like ‘one member, one vote’ selection which is simpler than the existing electoral college set up.